A Bangladesh Coast Guard station in the Sundarbans came under attack and was vandalised in Mongla upazila of Bagerhat on Thursday morning, leaving several Coast Guard personnel injured.
The incident took place at the Coast Guard Station Harbaria in the Joymonir Ghol area of the Sundarbans.
In a press release issued in the evening, the Coast Guard said a group of miscreants launched a sudden attack on the station and carried out vandalism, injuring several personnel on duty.
Following the incident, police were deployed in the area to maintain law and order.
According to the statement sent by Coast Guard Media Officer Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujon, the Coast Guard has taken necessary measures to bring the situation under control and launched a joint operation to determine the actual cause of the attack.
Efforts are also underway to identify those involved and bring them to justice, the statement said.
The Coast Guard alleged that certain vested interests and criminal groups orchestrated the attack and vandalism as part of a planned effort to force the station out of the area and facilitate their illegal activities.
The statement further claimed that the attack was intended to disrupt the Coast Guard’s ongoing operations against forest pirates, maintain law and order in the Sundarbans, and hinder its successful enforcement activities.
The Coast Guard said no propaganda, misinformation campaign or conspiracy by vested quarters would be able to obstruct its operational activities and responsibilities.
It added that the force has been carrying out its duties with professionalism, integrity and dedication to ensure overall security in the Sundarbans, suppress forest piracy, preserve biodiversity and maintain law and order in coastal areas.
Regular patrols, intelligence surveillance and special drives are conducted to prevent theft, robbery and other forms of sabotage in different parts of the Sundarbans, the statement said.
According to the Coast Guard, the station was established in Joymonir Ghol, under Mongla upazila, as the area had long been known as a key base for forest pirates and their associates.
The force claimed that its presence in the area has effectively disrupted the supply of logistics, weapons and other support to criminal groups, making it increasingly difficult for them to continue their illegal activities.
As a result, forest pirates and their associates do not want the Coast Guard to remain stationed there, the statement added.
However, another source said a group of local men and women from the Joymonir Ghol area allegedly went to the Coast Guard station in small boats and attacked a Coast Guard vessel. No reliable source could immediately provide further details about the claim.
Mongla Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Atikur Rahman said police rushed to the spot after receiving information about the incident.
“The situation is now fully under control and police have been deployed in the area,” he said.
The OC also said the Coast Guard is preparing to file a written complaint and that legal action will be taken upon receiving it.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Sundarbans East Forest Division, Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, said authorities had been receiving reports of tension in the area since morning.
“The Coast Guard station is located close to a local settlement. The matter is being investigated by the relevant authorities,” he added.